As a nation, it is critical to our collective future that we ensure that all children have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Yet early adversity, toxic stress, and trauma are erecting lifelong barriers for many children, jeopardizing their healthy development, their ability to self-actualize, and their long-term well-being. The evidence is clear that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are widespread, and have dramatic, detrimental, and lasting effects on the health and wellbeing of children that can persist into adulthood.

This paper lays out a suite of the most important policies and strategies to leverage the health care system to address ACEs resulting from the combined effects of racial and other inequities and experiences of early adversity on health. It is intended to guide the work of national and state policymakers, state Medicaid agencies, health system leaders, and individual providers.

Congressional committees have advanced initial measures to address prescription drug costs. However, their work to date has not focused on the significant policy changes needed to meaningfully lower drug prices. To address the drivers of excessive prescription drug prices in the United States, the Coalition for Fair Drug Prices urges Congress to enact meaningful policies that leverage the federal government’s power to negotiate drug prices.

Patients deserve evidence-based, high-value health care rooted in the most rigorous scientific methods. However, research practices that generate our current evidence base have historically excluded a number of communities and patient perspectives. This incomplete, and sometimes biased evidence base has limited effectiveness and applicability for diverse populations, and risks widening racial, ethnic, and other inequities.

Eight in ten Americans say the cost of prescription drugs is “unreasonable.” This is a problem driven by high launch prices and price increases, which are rooted in drug corporations’ monopoly power and perverse incentives within the pharmaceutical supply chain.